Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump said that burning the US flag, should result in “consequences” such as imprisonment or “loss of citizenship”, media reports said.
“Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag. If they do, there must be consequences, perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!” Trump tweeted. This comes a day after he went on a Twitter rant suggesting the possibility of reversing normal relations with Cuba if he cannot get a “better deal” with the communist regime, Efe news agency reported.
Local media reports point to the possibility that he could be referring to the recent burning of a flag at Amherst University in Massachusetts on November 10 as part of a student protest after his election victory two days before.
Despite Trump’s call for taking strict action against Americans who burn the flag, the Supreme Court has already ruled twice against criminalising flag burning, arguing that the act is protected by the right to freedom of expression.
The president-elect is working to appoint members of his Cabinet and other officials before being inaugurated on January 20 in Washington.
